Families Far Away

Everyone in Bolivia tends to look at me funny whenever I mention that I would love to live there permanently. The joke I hear over and over again is that, "everyone wants to leave Bolivia and move to the United States and you (me) must be the only one who wants to leave the United States and move to Bolivia". There's no doubt that one of the major obstacles standing in the way of my desire to change my permanent residency is the lack of jobs and opportunities, where I could secure my future and for my future family.

These lack of opportunities ultimately force thousands of Bolivians to try their luck away from their homelands. Approximately 110,000 Bolivians leave the country each year with destinations of Argentina, Spain, Italy and some to the United States. The flow to the Washington D.C. area has curtailed in the past few years, but the presence is noteworthy.

Almost everyone that I know in Bolivia, has a cousin, aunt or even parent who has moved away. Approximately 150 million dollars is sent back each year. Many seem to think that the DC metro area is small like Cochabamba, where everyone seems to know everyone. Many ask me if I know so-and-so, but the community spreads across two states and one commonwealth, although they all manage to unite on August 6th.